The Glyptodon: Prehistoric Bolivia

The glyptodon was a very close relative to the armadillo and weighed as much as a car. Glyptodons’ backs were covered in armor, and their shells were 5cm thick. Glyptodons’ shells are very common in the fossil record. Glyptodons lived in South America and went extinct between 11,000 and 10,000 years ago. They lived during the Pilocene and Pleistocene eras. The word glyptodon means grooved or carved tooth. Glyptodons were mammals. It’s enemies were the terror bird, the saber tooth tiger, and the dire wolf. There were different types of glyptodons in the glyptodontidae family. The glyptodon was an herbivore. Glyptodons may have gone extinct because natives over-hunted them. Scientists believe that people hunted them for their shells, which they used for shelter during bad weather. The glyptodon was about 3.3m 10.8ft in length and 1.5m 4.9ft tall and could weigh up to 2 tons. The glyptodon was named by Richard Owen in 1839. Visit my blog again next Monday!